A pioneer in the antique business, Tom Seely spent a lifetime valuing the craftsmanship of Early American cabinetmakers, recognizing a love and integrity in their work and developing an eye for the simple sophistication of their designs. Tom’s fascination with antique furniture began after his return to America from World War II. Back then, many people thought of Early American furniture as simply used furniture. Tom Seely saw it differently, recognizing a refinement of design and construction that mass production failed to match. In the early 1950s, Tom Seely opened an antique store next to his home in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. Behind the store, he kept a small workshop where he repaired, refinished and stored items that he collected from the surrounding countryside. By the mid-1960s, Tom Seely watched the demand for antiques outgrow supply. Recognizing this shortfall, he began to make reproductions of his favorite antiques, focusing on creating new furniture that emphasized lasting design and construction. As customers increased, Tom Seely enlisted the help of local craftsmen, and the business grew into the Tom Seely Furniture company we know today – where solid wood is still crafted by hand, one piece at a time, using the same fine woodworking techniques employed by early cabinetmakers prior to the 20th century. They still believe that the quality of our furniture, in both its design and construction, comes from our appreciation of the past – an appreciation embodied by our founder. Whether you already own some Tom Seely antique reproductions or are viewing their furniture for the first time, we want you to know what makes their company and furniture unique.
Tom Seely Furniture builds all of the furniture by hand, one piece at a time, for you. When one of their cabinetmakers completes a piece of furniture, he/she personally signs and dates it.
Tom Seely Furniture uses the term “antique reproduction” in reference to both the style of their furniture and the manner in which they construct it. They don’t simply make furniture to look like antiques…Seely makes furniture the way antiques were originally built.
Tom Seely Furniture works exclusively with solid wood and still use many of the fine woodworking techniques considered standard in the 19th century.
Tom Seely Furniture still makes all of their furniture in the United States. They produce about half of the furniture in an oversized workshop in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. A collection of more than 25 individual workshops – many owned by Amish and Mennonite families – handbuilds the remainder in Ohio and Pennsylvania.